I remembered my OBS training
I am glad to share with my friends that in 1967, the 4th
Batch OSs were given an adventurous challenge of experiential learning in the
outdoors. We had to venture into the Outward Bound School (OBS) under
Major-General D. N. H. Tyacke, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Singapore
District with the British Army Administration. At that time, the Chief
Instructor of the Outward Bound School was Major Dunstone.
The term “Outdoor experiential and environment training” was
broadly referred to a range of organized activities that took place in a variety
of ways, such as developing a deeper relationship with the nature to
improve problem-solving and survival skills, enhancing teamwork, leadership
skills, abseiling, orienteering, way-finding, canoe expedition, forming rafts
in choppy sea, re-entering capsized canoes in the deep wide sea, sailing, sea
training, topographic map reading, grid-reference orienteering, forest-darkness
adaptation, knotting skills, ropes courses and forest camping skills.
Pulau Ubin was the second
largest island after Pulau Tekong in the north-eastern part of Singapore. Ubin
was granite in Malay language though there were many uninhabited forested areas
there in those years.
OBS was the acronym for Outward Bound School. The 3-week
in-camp training programme was conducted in a barrack-like OBS in a remote area
in Pulau Ubin. There was no electricity on that island. Neither were there
water supply nor gas cooking facilities.
I remembered vividly that some 60 OSs ventured out with
their personal belongings in haversacks and jungle boots. After informing their
parents of their training, they set off to the Punggol Point jetty where they
were ferried across to the island in group of 12 by shuttle bumboats one
morning in 1967. Nobody had any knowledge or bothered about buying personal insurance
for self protection against odds. Everybody assumed that once they accepted the
job, they would faithfully do it without fail. With concerted effort and
personal commitment, they would want to do their utmost best to achieve what
they believed they could do it.
On arriving at the Pulau Ubin jetty, they were given short
briefing on safety precautions and standard operations procedures (SOP) before
assigning wooden bunker beds to the individuals. They realized that training
life would be very tough for the following 3 weeks there. Drinking water
sparingly and prudently from the well was a part of their daily life. Firstly,
water decontamination and purification tablet had to be dissolved in drinking
water in the aluminum water bottles. Little frogs could be seen jumping here
and there near the well. Many pretended not to see them at all. Please do not
ask me about the sanitary facilities.
In each meal, there were always six little parts of the
chicken wings just enough for six persons besides the vegetables and soup on
each dining table in the canteen. A plate of rice for each person would be
ready in front of the trainees. The Chief Instructor would then say a simple
prayer “For what we are about to receive, thank God.” at each meal. Usually,
the trainees were so hungry that they would just get their forks ready for the
best part of the chicken wings just at the same time when the prayer was done.
During training for sea survival, trainees had to learn how
to remove trousers in the sea and blow air buoyancy with their own trousers for
sea survival. They simply tied knots at both leg ends of the trousers and
splash the trousers above the sea water to trap air in order to create airbags
while holding on to the waistband and kicking hard during the process to avoid
toppling over.
Armed with mess tin for camping, water bottle, poncho,
parang, dried rations, twines, ropes, topography map, compass, jungle boots,
jungle hat, touch light, haversack and first-aid kits, we ventured some
kilometers away from the camp into the forested area as marked on the
topographic map. We must camp there before the sunset. We had to improvise with
what we could find there so that we would be able to stay safely overnight in
the complete darkness in our respective self-pitched one-man tents.
Yellow sulphuric powder was poured surrounding the tents to
prevent invasion of poisonous insects and snakes. Nobody was able to see their
own fingers without the use of touch lights in the moonless night.
Surprisingly, we could see many stars in the dark sky. Some of us dared not
sleep the whole night despite the fact that sentry duties were arranged on a
rotational basis every hourly among trainees of the same group.
Many trainees sustained some kinds of injuries as a result
of the training. Ms Sia Sow Peng was the NYLTI staff attached to the group. She
often had to double up as first-aider from time to time.
The late Mr Sim Boon Peng who was then the Director of People's Association also graced the Closing Ceremony cum Presentation of Certificates at Pulau Ubin as that was the first OBS Training for Organizing Secretaries. Subsequently, Organizing Secretaries from the Third Batch, Fifth Batch and Second Batch also went for their OBS Training.
I would like to share my chapter of memories about my
experience at the OBS. I remembered that Major Dunstone had to visit me at my
house after my training to ensure that I was absolutely fine. With that in
mind, I could only smile when I recap the tough times I went through at the
OBS. For a good memory, I still keep my certificate.
For a memorable record, she
proudly showed us her certificate.
For those who know her, Ms Teo Choon Kiang was a former Organizing Secretary of the People's Association.
For those who know her, Ms Teo Choon Kiang was a former Organizing Secretary of the People's Association.
